the scarecrow of oz-第35章

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it　plunged　into　this　dim　abyss　the　river　was　black　and



dreary　looking；　and　they　stood　gazing　in　awe　until　just



beside　them　the　body　of　the　Scarecrow　again　popped　up



from　the　water。



















Chapter　Twenty　Three







The　Land　of　Oz











The　straw　man's　appearance　on　the　water　was　so　sudden



that　it　startled　Trot；　but　Cap'n　Bill　had　the　presence　of



mind　to　stick　his　wooden　leg　out　over　the　water　and　the



Scarecrow　made　a　desperate　clutch　and　grabbed　the　leg



with　both　hands。　He　managed　to　hold　on　until　Trot　and



Button…Bright　knelt　down　and　seized　his　clothing；　but　the



children　would　have　been　powerless　to　drag　the　soaked



Scarecrow　ashore　had　not　Cap'n　Bill　now　assisted　them。



When　they　laid　him　on　the　ledge　of　rubies　he　was　the　most



useless　looking　Scarecrow　you　can　imagine　　his　straw



sodden　and　dripping　with　water；　his　clothing　wet　and



crumpled；　while　even　the　sack　upon　which　his　face　was



painted　had　become　so　wrinkled　that　the　old　jolly



expression　of　their　stuffed　friend's　features　was



entirely　gone。　But　he　could　still　speak；　and　when　Trot



bent　down　her　ear　she　heard　him　say：







〃Get　me　out　of　here　as　soon　as　you　can。〃







That　seemed　a　wise　thing　to　do；　so　Cap'n　Bill　lifted



his　head　and　shoulders；　and　Trot　and　Button…Bright　each



took　a　leg；　among　them　they　partly　carried　and　partly



dragged　the　damp　Scarecrow　out　of　the　Ruby　Cavern；　along



the　tunnel；　and　up　the　flight　of　rock　steps。　It　was



somewhat　difficult　to　get　him　past　the　edge　of　the



waterfall；　but　they　succeeded；　after　much　effort；　and　a



few　minutes　later　laid　their　poor　comrade　on　a　grassy



bank　where　the　sun　shone　upon　him　freely　and　he　was



beyond　the　reach　of　the　spray。







Cap'n　Bill　now　knelt　down　and　examined　the　straw　that



the　Scarecrow　was　stuffed　with。







〃I　don't　believe　it'll　be　of　much　use　to　him；　any



more；〃　said　he；　〃for　it's　full　of　polliwogs　an'　fish



eggs；　an'　the　water　has　took　all　the　crinkle　out　o'　the



straw　an　ruined　it。　I　guess；　Trot；　that　the　best　thing



for　us　to　do　is　to　empty　out　all　his　body　an'　carry　his



head　an'　clothes　along　the　road　till　we　come　to　a　field



or　a　house　where　we　can　get　some　fresh　straw。〃







〃Yes；　Cap'n；〃　she　agreed；　〃there's　nothing　else　to　be



done。　But　how　shall　we　ever　find　the　road　to　Glinda's



palace；　without　the　Scarecrow　to　guide　us？〃







〃That's　easy；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　speaking　in　a　rather



feeble　but　distinct　voice。　〃If　Cap'n　Bill　will　carry　my



head　on　his　shoulders；　eyes　front；　I　can　tell　him　which



way　to　go。〃







So　they　followed　that　plan　and　emptied　all　the　old；　wet



straw　out　of　the　Scarecrow's　body。　Then　the　sailor…man



wrung　out　the　clothes　and　laid　them　in　the　sun　till　they



were　quite　dry。　Trot　took　charge　of　the　head　and　pressed



the　wrinkles　out　of　the　face　as　it　dried；　so　that　after　a



while　the　Scarecrow's　expression　became　natural　again；



and　as　jolly　as　before。







This　work　consumed　some　time；　but　when　it　was　completed



they　again　started　upon　their　journey；　Button…Bright



carrying　the　boots　and　hat；　Trot　the　bundle　of　clothes；



and　Cap'n　Bill　the　head。　The　Scarecrow；　having　regained



his　composure　and　being　now　in　a　good　humor；　despite　his



recent　mishaps；　beguiled　their　way　with　stories　of　the



Land　of　Oz。







It　was　not　until　the　next　morning；　however；　that　they



found　straw　with　which　to　restuff　the　Scarecrow。　That



evening　they　came　to　the　same　little　house　they　had　slept



in　before；　only　now　it　was　magically　transferred　to　a　new



place。　The　same　bountiful　supper　as　before　was　found



smoking　hot　upon　the　table　and　the　same　cosy　beds　were



ready　for　them　to　sleep　in。







They　rose　early　and　after　breakfast　went　out　of　doors；



and　there；　lying　just　beside　the　house；　was　a　heap　of



clean；　crisp　straw。　Ozma　had　noticed　the　Scarecrow's



accident　in　her　Magic　Picture　and　had　notified　the　Wizard



to　provide　the　straw；　for　she　knew　the　adventurers　were



not　likely　to　find　straw　in　the　country　through　which



they　were　now　traveling。







They　lost　no　time　in　stuffing　the　Scarecrow　anew；　and



he　was　greatly　delighted　at　being　able　to　walk　around



again　and　to　assume　the　leadership　of　the　little　party。







〃Really；〃　said　Trot；　〃I　think　you're　better　than　you



were　before；　for　you　are　fresh　and　sweet　all　through　and



rustle　beautifully　when　you　move。〃







〃Thank　you；　my　dear；〃　he　replied　gratefully。　〃I　always



feel　like　a　new　man　when　I'm　freshly　stuffed。　No　one



likes　to　get　musty；　you　know；　and　even　good　straw　may　be



spoiled　by　age。〃







〃It　was　water　that　spoiled　you；　the　last　time；〃



remarked　Button…Bright；　〃which　proves　that　too　much



bathing　is　as　bad　as　too　little。　But；　after　all；



Scarecrow；　water　is　not　as　dangerous　for　you　as　fire。〃







〃All　things　are　good　in　moderation；〃　declared　the



Scarecrow。　〃But　now；　let　us　hurry　on；　or　we　shall　not



reach　Glinda's　palace　by　nightfall。〃



















Chapter　Twenty…Four







The　Royal　Reception











At　about　four　o'clock　of　that　same　day　the　Red　Wagon



drew　up　at　the　entrance　to　Glinda's　palace　and　Dorothy



and　Betsy　jumped　out。　Ozma's　Red　Wagon　was　almost　a



chariot；　being　inlaid　with　rubies　and　pearls；　and　it　was



drawn　by　Ozma's　favorite　steed；　the　wooden　Sawhorse。







〃Shall　I　unharness　you；〃　asked　Dorothy；　〃so　you　can



come　in　and　visit？〃







〃No；〃　replied　the　Sawhorse。　〃I'll　just　stand　here　and



think。　Take　your　time。　Thinking　doesn't　seem　to　bore　me



at　all。〃







〃What　will　you　think　of？〃　inquired　Betsy。







〃Of　the　acorn　that　grew　the　tree　from　which　I　was



made。〃







So　they　left　the　wooden　animal　and　went　in　to　see



Glinda；　who　welcomed　the　little　girls　in　her　most　cordial



manner。







〃I　knew　you　were　on　your　way；〃　said　the　good　Sorceress



when　they　were　seated　in　her　library；　〃for　I　learned　from



my　Record　Book　that　you　intended　to　meet　Trot　and　Button…



Bright　on　their　arrival　here。〃







〃Is　the　strange　little　girl　named　Trot？〃　asked　Dorothy。







〃Yes；　and　her　companion；　the　old　sailor；　is　named　Cap'n



Bill。　I　think　we　shall　like　them　very　much；　for　they　are



just　the　kind　of　people　to　enjoy　and　appreciate　our



fairyland　and　I　do　not　see　any　way；　at　present；　for　them



to　return　again　to　the　outside　world。〃







〃Well；　there's　room　enough　here　for　them；　I'm　sure；〃



said　Dorothy。　〃Betsy　and　I　are　already　eager　to　welcome



Trot。　It　will　keep　us　busy　for　a　year；　at　least；　showing



her　all　the　wonderful　things　in　Oz。〃







Glinda　smiled。







〃I　have　lived　here　many　years；〃　said　she；　〃and　I　have



not　seen　all　the　wonders　of　Oz　yet。〃







Meantime　the　travelers　were　drawing　near　to　the　palace；



and　when　they　first　caught　sight　of　its　towers　Trot



realized　that　it　was　far　more　grand　and　imposing　than　was



the　King's　castle　in　Jinxland。　The　nearer　they　came；　the



more　beautiful　the　palace　appeared；　and　when　finally　the



Scarecrow　led　them　up　the　great　marble　steps；　even



Button…Bright　was　filled　with　awe。







〃I　don't　see　any　soldiers　to　guard　the　place；〃　said　the



little　girl。







〃There　is　no　need　to　guard　Glinda's　palace；〃　replied



the　Scarecrow。　〃We　have　no　wicked　people　in　Oz；　that　we



know　of；　and　even　if　there　were　any；　Glinda's　magic　would



be　powerful　enough　to　protect　her。〃







Button…Bright　was　now　standing　on　the　top　steps　of　the



entrance；　and　he　sud